General manager Bob Quinn’s most egregious mistake in 2017 was keeping the Lions’ running back position intact.

On first down, the Lions were a 1-yard gain about to happen. Goal-to-go inside the 10, it was a given the Lions would get stuffed. Third-and-short, the Lions were better off spreading the field and having Matthew Stafford pass. Running the ball was futile. The Lions ranked last in the NFL in rushing, and it wasn’t only because of poor offensive line planning by Quinn.

They sorely lacked a traditional, bigger between-the-tackles runner.

Making matters worse: Constant reminders of running backs the Lions easily could have acquired, either in the NFL Draft or via free agency.

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The Lions traded down in the third round with New England. The following pick, Kansas City selected Kareem Hunt from the University of Toledo. On opening night vs. New England, on the road yet, Hunt lit up Matt Patricia’s Patriots’ defense like a pin ball machine. He went on to lead the NFL in rushing.

University of Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara, another third-round pick Quinn passed on, hurdled over All-Pro cornerback Darius Slay during the Saints’ victory over the Lions. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and caught 81 passes.

Quinn was open and honest following the season - except when he said he didn’t regret passing on Hunt and Kamara.

But there’s more. Free agent running back Latavius Murray of the Vikings scotched the Lions during the first - and very key - drive following halftime on Thanksgiving Day. That drive went a long way explaining why the Lions fell short of winning the NFC North title - again.

And the hits just keep coming. Did you see LeGarrette Blount plow over Minnesota safety Mike Sendejo during the NFC Championship game Sunday? This season, Blount, according to profootballfocus.com, led NFL running backs in yards after contact - 3.56 yards per attempt. The Lions only averaged 3.4 per attempt overall, tied for the lowest in the NFL.

Blount, of course, was passed on by the Lions.

It’s water under the bridge now, but it would be reprehensible if Quinn doesn’t address the issue for 2018.

The obvious question: How?

Running back is a perplexing position. It has started to re-gain value in recent years after several on the decline in the increasingly pass-happy NFL.

There were two running backs taken in the first round last season, Leonard Fournette (Jacksonville) and Christian McCaffrey (Carolina), each within the first eight picks. They had the desired impact on teams that made the playoffs after missing in 2016.

But the real stories were Hunt and Kamara. The Lions only need isn’t running back. They have severe issues in the front seven defensively. There is a high-end running back in this draft. Penn State’s Saquon Barkley is likely to go very early, but may be the only the running back selected in the first round.

Position value suggests the Lions address the running back spot after the first round. And it isn’t just taking a back, but the right one - or two.

There are sound options, in both the early and later rounds. More will be known after this week’s Senior Bowl. Hunt, for example, was easily the best back at the event last year. Rashaad Penny, who led the nation in rushing in 2017 at San Diego State, could be this year’s Kareem Hunt. He is a 220-pounder with speed. There should be plenty of tread left on his tires because he wasn’t a workhorse until his last season. We’ll have to see how tests, and there are questions about his pass blocking.

Several top backs won’t be at the Senior Bowl.

Georgia’s duo of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb are excellent players. Both excelled under big-time pressure in the superior SEC this season. So did Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson and LSU’s Derrius Guice.

Perhaps the most intriguing back from a raw talent standpoint, and he is at the Senior Bowl, is Kalen Ballage from Arizona State. He was a legitimate 4-star recruit out of high school. He features an excellent size-speed combination. He had a decent college career - and Arizona State was competitive this season - but his numbers were not overly impressive. Some would say he dances too much at the hole (he’s a 225-pounder, built like a rock), but he could be more a read-and-cut runner, which seems to work best in the NFL these days.

One way or another, the Lions must address the running back position in the draft, even if they are active at the spot during free agency. Possible free agent running backs include Le’Veon Bell (very unlikely for Lions), Carlos Hyde, Alfred Morris, Dion Lewis (smaller back) and, yes, the ageless Blount.

The evaluation for the NFL Draft begins in earnest this week during the Senior Bowl practices and game.